Female prefects have been equal contributors in leadership roles which creates an environment where everyone shows responsibility.

Those were the senti­ments shared by Assis­tant Minister for Youth and Sports, Alvick Maharaj, during the prefects induction ceremony at Boubale Primary School in Labasa, on friday.

He said the high number of female inductees was a sign of the Government’s commitment to ensure gender equal­ity and women empowerment remained a focus.

He said becoming prefects meant students now had the responsibility to showcase high levels of discipline, aca­demic competence and being a part of a productive society.

He praised the move made by the Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar, in the reintroduction of competitive sports in this new academic year.

“I would like to encourage more girls to participate in physical activities and competitive sports,” he said.

Head of School (HOS), Navindra Jas, said despite the low number of male students, the female students were able to step up and fill in those key leadership roles.

Twelve out of the 18 students inducted into the various positions: Class prefects, senior prefects and school heads were female students.

“We don’t encourage gender differences and we had cer­tain criteria where our school committee and teachers selected the prefects based on the gender count distribu­tion,” he said.

“The female students have shown better leadership com­pared to the boys, so we decided to give them a chance to prove themselves”.

Head girl, Mereoni Dicamaibau, felt proud to lead her school and would balance her study life with the prefect’s role. She said though it would be challenging, she saw it as an opportunity to create life-changing memories.

“When I grow up, I will look at this very day and enjoy the moment I experienced,” she said.

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